Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-12-03
THE FIRE-EsCAPE Law.
Attorney RiAdle On che seeming Ds
fects - TIE Act - CouRress.


District Attorney RIDDLE has sent to the District
Commissioners the following opinion In reference
to the nre-escape law:
$50 much has been said Of the act OF January
%. 1887, that deem &c my duty to submit brief
statement of It's provisions :or your information
and consideration As has transpired, I have
found It dificult OF enforcement, and for reasons
here In part set forth. The act itself names. and
thereby describes, the places structures, build
ings to which alone the penal part OF the Law ap.
plies and IL can, as have advised you be enforced
against no others These are:
sssSy es ssass
tenement house, seminary, college academy hospital
high or upW:rd ' sssssion . issS ~ ies'
at Is probable that Gloss, true construction
would require that each Of these structures should
De, In the nrst place, built TOR some one OF the
named uses shall ADMIT for the time however,
that any building actually used for any OF the
the q tSs fa sx IS n
tons as any building any part Of which is pro-
vided with . stage for dramatic representations
used alone OF in connection with any other build
ing tor hotel purposes shall be deemed q hotel,
&C. g. nor yet does Il say that any building any
room In which Is used as q theater, q hotel Q
ject to the provisions Of this act; but il does say
sndns ss as Ss q sy
your oticer fails to see Il or not the purposes
tne use ior which protection Is provided must az
one OF many or any other use not subjected to this
main use. II must be o theater, hotel an asy-
lum 2 factory, hail. a hospital, and not merely
contain any one OF these with some other consider
able business purpose or thing Independent OF IL.
This is the idea OF the law, and such buildings
an and no other can 4 be applied TO- whether right
or DOT courts and lawyers can alone decide, nor
90 submit the question 70 any other. The
building must be at least 90 feet high, as
think, from the surface to the cave. An asylum
49H feet high between these points would, under
This law, never become place OF safety, nor
would any other OF the named buildings The
penalty OF the third section applies only to the
buildings used as above named In section one, and
the external means for the protection and escape
OF those ros the time occupying tnem for the pur
limitation. Section third provides that IT, within
tlrty days after notice to owners 70 set the ap
meet the reQusiIions OF that section, two oicerso
tne District designating them, shall erect them,
ana tne costs shall be "a lien on said property andf
by the District authorities This is the language
OF the act, not mine Now we only charge street
railroads with improvements when We pave that
only enforce IL by suit at law, that were we TO
secure the lien OF this act on named building, we
could not sell II without the aid OF q court or law
or equity And, as seen, this nor any act makes
an appropriation for the execution OF the law, so
mat this provision is wholly ineffective The only
other means Of enforcement provided is penalty
Tor not executing the first section, TO be collected
as nnes now are for which we have several ways;
Dut this leaves the building to burn and the guests
wltMn II, who, nevertheless, have q right OF &C.
Uon against the owners under the act
word remains 70 be said OF the second section,
Whicn declares that In all hotels factories, man.
uIactorleS WORKSHOPS schools, seminaries, hospi-
tas, asylums, halls, or places or amusement, or
other places mentioned In this act, the Railways
and stalrways shall be properly lighted when oc-
cupied at night &C. and at heads OF stairs, inter-
sections OF passageways, red lights alarm gongs
&C, snail be provided with conspicuous notices in
all rooms descriptive of the means or escape land
the building Inspector and chief engineer OF the
nre department shall have the right TO designate
the location OF SAID horoscopes and stand-ppes
IN conformity with this act &C. Certainly;
put suppose the owner refuses TO DO
90 any or all OF the things named in this second
section. He incurs no penalty, nor can the Dis
tr1ct supply his deficiency and charge the build
Ing with 1t; and as would SEEM no right OF action
for such neglect his part accTues under this act
to partiesinJured. Yet, however this may be, In
asmuch as TINS act imposes the duties specified In
the first and second sections upon building owners
II ID probable that q neglect TO perform them on
their respective parts would subject them TO com
mOn-law actions by any who SHOULD thereby suf-
fer. This Ii suggestion for the bar and not for
the Commissioners. MY idea Is the sooner and
wider the seeming defects OF this act are known
the more certain we are TO secure amendments TO
II, and 10 this end this brief comment Is ad-
dressed"